A 3:30am wake-up call for a 2-day guided tour doesn’t get me excited. I pulled myself up into the crowded tour bus and stumbled my way to the back where I took a quick survey of the talent pool before passing out for the next 2 hours. Still not excited. It was a long ride … Continued
**Watch in HD** On day 1 of volunteering at Paseo Los Monos Monkey Rescue Center in Puyo, Ecuador my camera was confiscated by Sambo, the alpha woolly monkey. He told me I could have it back at the end of the week, but not before he put together this short video explaining his life at … Continued
As the 5th largest city in South America you’d think Lima would get a little more respect. Before arriving in Peru’s capital, all I heard was that Lima is a boring pass-through metropolis that you could experience in 4 days on your way to Machu Picchu. Not one to listen to other’s travel reviews, I … Continued
I think the video explains all the chaos and excitement of the New Year’s celebration in Cusco, Peru better than I ever could in words. Cusco is one of the two most popular places to celebrate New Years in Peru (the other being Mancora) and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The city grew in anticipation from … Continued
The trip to Paseos Los Monos almost never happened. I was enjoying my time in Baños and questioned if the hour bus trip to Puyo for a typical, over-staged monkey photo was worth it. I was also a bit hesitant to see how tourists and staff interacted with the monkeys, seeing too much poor treatment … Continued
The best way to see to visit any area is to get off the beaten track. It’s only then that you can see the best of what an area has to offer by way of its people, it’s customs and of course, the scenery. That’s a great deal of motivation when planning a vacation, as … Continued
Tucked under the shadow of Ecuador’s largest volcano, high up in the Ecuadorian Andes lies the beautiful town of Baños. Baños is named for the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water, Nuestra Señora del Agua Santa and features an incredible Basilica in the middle of town that was built from volcanic rock after an eruption of … Continued
I know what you said TLC, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.” Well guess what TLC, I bet you girls have never been to Baños, Ecuador because if you have you would know that there are just way too many waterfalls to pass up. Luckily … Continued
How much do we really know about ourselves until we push past what we currently think is possible and achieve more than what we’re comfortable with doing? When I was 15 years old my dad took my brother, sister and I to an amusement park in the Wisconsin Dells. As we approached the park you … Continued
The parking lot just below the snow caped peak of Cotopaxi is cold and covered with snow. We´re 4800 meters up and level with the thick, early morning clouds. The guide and shuttle driver unload our bikes as the rest of us scramble to stay warm. I´m joined on this adventure by a German couple, … Continued